US 11,986,756 B2
3D printed staged filtration media packs
Javier A. Rodriguez, Peoria, IL (US); Darrell Lee Morehouse, III, Dunlap, IL (US); and Philip Carl Spengler, Washington, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on May 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/324,463.
Application 17/324,463 is a division of application No. 16/042,176, filed on Jul. 23, 2018, granted, now 11,058,977.
Prior Publication US 2021/0268416 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. B01D 39/16 (2006.01); B01D 29/01 (2006.01); B01D 29/56 (2006.01); B01D 29/58 (2006.01); B01D 35/00 (2006.01); B01D 46/00 (2022.01); B01D 29/11 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B01D 39/1692 (2013.01) [B01D 29/016 (2013.01); B01D 29/56 (2013.01); B01D 29/58 (2013.01); B01D 35/005 (2013.01); B01D 39/16 (2013.01); B01D 46/0002 (2013.01); B01D 29/012 (2013.01); B01D 29/111 (2013.01); B01D 2239/1216 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A filter medium comprising:
a plurality of layers wherein each of the plurality of layers extends in a horizontal plane, and each of the plurality of layers includes an undulating strip of solidified material laid in a horizontal plane that also droops in a vertical direction, wherein the filter medium includes an annular shape defining an outer annular region and an inner annular region and the plurality of layers contact each other, and defines a plurality of pores therebetween;
a cap portion including
a first plurality of layers of solidified material including a first layer with a first undulating strip of solidified material extending in a first predetermined direction in a first horizontal plane and a second layer with a second undulating strip of solidified material extending in a second predetermined direction in a second horizontal plane, and the first layer is in contact with the second layer and the first predetermined direction is not parallel with the second predetermined direction;
a bottom portion including
a second plurality of layers of solidified material including a third layer with a third undulating strip of solidified material extending in a third predetermined direction in a third horizontal plane, and a fourth layer with a fourth undulating strip of solidified material extending in a fourth predetermined direction in a fourth horizontal plane, and the third layer is in contact with the fourth layer and the third predetermined direction is not parallel with the fourth predetermined direction; and
wherein the undulations of the cap portion and the undulations of the bottom portion are out of phase with each other.